(Moved from the "Mars Attacks! Fiasco" Thread)

In my opinion, Topps has become stagnant and lazy in their non-sports releases. Cookie-cutter formats, lame parallels, weak chase cards, and too many inferior sketch cards. (Not to mention their inability to divide by 3 so the chase sets fit evenly in 9-up sleeves, but I'll save that "new-math" for another day.)

I guess it's up to us to do the job for them, and start pitching ideas out. Hopefully, someone from Topps may stumble upon these ideas (most likely sometime after the release of "Star Wars Galaxy 27"), and say, "Those are pretty good ideas! Why didn't we think of that?". Soon after, Topps releases "STAR WARS CINEMA MASTERPIECE EDITION" trading cards. And soon after that, we go into a global recession because everyone spent all their money on those cards. (And are eagerly awaiting series 2).


So, let's imagine the possibilities. Think "blue sky". Anything goes. (Within reason, of course. Obviously you can't bring dead actors back to life to sign autographs, now can you? Or can you? Hmmm.....)


With a high-end set, even at $200 a pack, you could have:

Dual auto/relics
Triple auto/relics
Quad auto/relics
Booklet auto/relics
Prop cards
Cut Signature cards

There are nearly endless combination possibilities from that basic list alone.

All cards would have mixed-media fronts AND backs. (example: matte finish paper base + glossy spot printing + blue foil + embossing + holofoil) Why the backs too? Because every time you flip through pages of cards, you see the back of the cards almost as much as you see the fronts. Add some class to the back of these cards.

In case there's a concern that screen-worn costumes would dry up quickly: Topps is notorious for making non-sport relic cards from "fabric used for the creation of" costumes. For example, I doubt a Star Wars fan would complain if a "common" relic card had a swatch of fabric (used for the creation of) Lando's cape from The Empire Strikes Back AND the autograph of Lando himself, Billy Dee Williams. With the endless relic/prop/auto combos, you could make a set where every big-hit (1 per pack) would be considered a treasure.

I'll give more thought to chase cards...

Presentation is key, and I envision each pack coming in a polished wood box. Keep it classy. Don't junk it up. Only two logos on the box: set name & Topps logo. Just looking at the box itself should tell you there is something special inside. More like an heirloom, rather than a collectible.

Anyone else have ideas?

We have already been told by David Waldeck that a set with actual costume cards will most likely never happen because of the lack of availability. For the sets that they used "material used in the making of" those were secured from the movie companies shortly after production...good luck finding scraps 35 years later.

What the hobby really needs is NO Star Wars sets for 1-2 years. The market has been so oversaturated it is not even funny.

quote:

Originally posted by igman7:
What the hobby really needs is NO Star Wars sets for 1-2 years. The market has been so oversaturated it is not even funny.

And you can add Star Trek in all its many forms to that moratorium too.

Lucas has warehouses full of stuff. "The Lucas Archives" are quite vast.

I could see Lucas providing a few props & costumes for a Star Wars 50th anniversary card set.(Topps had better start stockpiling sticker-autos now...)

As an optimist, I'd like to think there is a possibility that a set like this could happen one day. I'm not asking Topps to solve world hunger, I just want to spend my money on QUALITY Star Wars cards. Fans spend a lot of money every year on mediocre Star Wars card sets. As a collector of both sport & non-sport cards, I've seen (and purchased) some incredibly designed premium cards. Mixed media, framed silk, wood, metal, lucite, canvas, leather & rubber. Sports cards get all the innovation and top-design. Why not Star Wars?

Quite often there are auctions that feature Star Wars memorabilia. Sure, it's expensive, but hungry collectors would gladly pony up for a chance at a piece of the Death Star.

Hopefully it's ok for me to post this link, but here's an example: http://www.icollector.com/Orig...f-the-Jedi_i13226888

But you figure if this goes for a couple thousand bucks, a 3"x8" chunk can yield quite a few pieces for cards, and even a couple "premium" larger sized pieces. I don't think anyone would be up in arms about you cutting this up either, as it stands it's already an incomplete piece.

I don't know what card companies normally pay for their memorabilia pieces, but I don't see this as being overly expensive to add a whole new level of collectability to a set.

I agree 100% Ted.

quote:

Originally posted by igman7:

What the hobby really needs is NO Star Wars sets for 1-2 years. The market has been so oversaturated it is not even funny.

I totally agree you on this, and this coming from a die hard Star Wars card collector. Simply put, Topps has killed this trading card license creating far too many sets at a large expense to the pocket. Long overdue that lucasfilm gave someone else the chance to have a go at the license.

quote:

Originally posted by JR2D2:

quote:

Originally posted by igman7:

What the hobby really needs is NO Star Wars sets for 1-2 years. The market has been so oversaturated it is not even funny.

I totally agree you on this, and this coming from a die hard Star Wars card collector. Simply put, Topps has killed this trading card license creating far too many sets at a large expense to the pocket. Long overdue that lucasfilm gave someone else the chance to have a go at the license.

My guess is that the license is expensive enough that Topps needs 2 sets a year to make it profitable. Lucas does not hand licenses out for nothing.

Ed